Book picks similar to
Raspberry Kisses by Cecelia Dowdy


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Gone to Green


Judy Christie - 2009
    The paper was an unexpected inheritance from a close colleague, and Lois must keep it for at least a year, bringing a host of challenges, lessons, and blessings into her life.When Lois pulls into Green on New Year’s Day, she expects a charming little town full of smiling people. She quickly realizes her mistake. After settling into a loaned house out on Route 2, she finds herself battling town prejudices and inner doubts and making friends with the most surprising people: troubled teenager Katy, good-looking catfish farmer Chris, wise and feisty Aunt Helen, and a female African-American physician named Kevin.Whether fighting a greedy, deceitful politician or rescuing a dog she fears, Lois notices the headlines in her life have definitely improved. She learns how to provide small-town news in a big-hearted way and realizes that life is full of newsworthy moments. When she encounters racial prejudice and financial corruption, Lois also discovers more about the goodness of real people and the importance of being part of a community.While secretly preparing the paper for a sale, Lois begins to realize that God might indeed have a plan for her life and that perhaps the allure of city life and career ambition are not what she wants after all.

Out of a Dream


Rosemary Hines - 2011
    From the outside, it all looks idyllic. A newlywed settling into a quaint coastal town, her husband establishing himself as a junior partner in a law firm—what more could she want? But a series of disturbing nightmares haunts Michelle. Her quest to understand these dreams leads her to the New World bookstore, where she begins a spiritual journey that will challenge her Christian heritage as well as her marriage. Captivating characters, suspenseful story lines, and thought-provoking themes—bestselling author, Rosemary Hines crafts gripping, and at times poignant, tales of the challenges Christians face in contemporary culture. Known for her realistic portrayal of life and her sensitivity in tackling tough topics, her novels examine issues such as the prevalence of New Age beliefs and practices in today's society, the tragedy of suicide in families of all walks of life, the struggles of children from broken homes, the heartache of infertility as well as unwanted pregnancies and abortions, and the difficulties of aging. Never preachy but always leading the reader to a message of hope and redemption, Rosemary is a committed follower of Christ. The novels of the Sandy Cove series—Out of a Dream, Through the Tears, Into Magnolia, Around the Bend, and From the Heart convey profound Christian messages that touch hearts and impact lives. Refreshingly honest and true to life, the characters resonate with readers and become their friends, and the stories transition seamlessly from one novel to the next. "Out of a Dream quickly introduces you to characters that parallel people in our own lives. Shaped by traits that enhance the plausibility of the plot, you could swear that you’ve met them all before. This novel resonates with the theme of how people often go looking for love in all the wrong places when seeking spirituality. The beauty here is that although some explore false approaches to knowing God, there is hope for everyone who diligently seeks the truth.” —Irene Dunlap, co-author of Chicken Soup for the Kid's Soul, Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul, and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Christmas Treasure for Kids

Treasure on Moon Lake


Amy Gamet - 2014
    Jewelry designer Tori Henderson’s first year in business was far more expensive than she could have imagined. Faced with closing the doors of Tori’s Treasures, she sinks her last dollar into one final promotion—a widely publicized treasure hunt for a chest of fine, handmade jewelry that could drum up enough business to get her back in the black... or kill her shop once and for all. The last thing she needs is her mother's announcement that she's preparing to marry Edward Trainor, the father of Tori’s long ago summer crush, Gabe - a man who regularly makes his way into Tori's dreams some ten years later. Corporate tycoon Jed Trainor has no intention of attending his estranged father’s wedding, and he certainly doesn’t need to see his half-brother Gabe after the other man put the moves on Jed's one-time fiancée. But with business problems looming, Jed needs time to think, and the small town of Moon Lake seems like the perfect place to hide away while he figures out how to save his empire. The last thing he needs is the distraction of a beautiful woman who thinks she’s in love with his idiot half-brother. Tori is determined to win Gabe’s heart, but Jed has other plans. When they learn Gabe is bringing a date to the wedding, Jed offers to bring Tori himself, knowing any woman on his arm is sure to be on Gabe’s radar. But his ploy for her attention just may blow up in his face. Can Jed prove to Tori he’s the Trainor brother she really belongs with?

Who Wants to Marry a Billionaire?


Emily Stone - 2013
    With her full-time job at the DeVere Foundation and a comically dysfunctional family that keeps her busy and broke, she can't even find time for a coffee date.Enter Daniel DeVere. Desperate to impress his philanthropist father with the purchase of an eco-hotel, there is only one problem - his playboy lifestyle has turned the owner off and he needs to present a more mature image if he is to have any chance of salvaging the deal.With sensible Nina as his fake fiance surely the deal will be secured. Putting on a convincing show in public is one thing, but the passion they are pretending to have for one another begins to spill over into their private moments and they are each forced to admit that they are wishing for something more.Excerpt:When they got back to the resort, Daniel winked at Nina, “Tonight, you are going to learn El Tamborito.”“Is that contagious?”“I hope so.” He led her into the bedroom. There was a gorgeous traditional Panamanian dress laid out on the bed: it had a full, heavily pleated skirt, a ruffled top, and amazing embroidery threaded through it. It was white with red designs. “There’s a festival in town, and we’re going.”“If I wear that, people will think that I can really dance.”“And you will,” there was a knock on the door, “that’s Luisa, and she’s going to teach you.”“What about you?”Daniel looked at her slyly, “Oh, I can dance.” He gave her a peck on the cheek. “Have fun, I’ll be back in two hours to get you.”Luisa, the dance instructor, joined Nina. “Hola! I’m Luisa, Nina. I’m going to put on a CD.” She popped a CD into the cabaña’s little stereo. “First, listen for a couple of minutes.” The rhythms were wonderful, Nina thought, there were drums, and clapping, and a female singer. “What’s she singing about?”“Ah,” Luisa said knowingly, “She sings about the attraction between men and women, about…the tension between men and women when they want to do more than dance!” Maybe, Nina thought, El Tamborito wasn’t such a good idea...

Edge of Recovery


Molly E. Lee - 2016
     Not the broken and damaged monsters like me. But it did. And I can’t control it. But I need to. Charlie is my sponsor, the one person I’m not supposed to touch, but my heart has locked on to her and is finally beating after years of barely moving. I’m in over my head in more ways than one, and as I try to be the man she sees behind the monster, I only sink deeper, two sides of myself battling for clarity. The one that dares to hope, and the one that already knows I’ll lose everything. I’m terrified my jagged past will slice her to ribbons but as my sponsor she’s obligated to dig up all the broken pieces and try to put them back together. I don’t know what scares me more, who she’ll find when she’s done, or how far she’ll run once she realizes the truth.

A Reason to Run


Christina Coryell - 2014
    When life handed her complications, she buried herself in capturing them on paper and crafting a perfect narrative. The fact that her latest novel was currently sitting at the top of the bestseller lists let her know she had succeeded—not that anyone else noticed, since she hid behind a pen name.It had been tempting to step away from the anonymity at times, but not on days like that one. Not when the humiliating video of Peter proposing was going viral and her name was spreading through peoples’ homes like wildfire. Her inclination to run felt justified, especially when she cloaked it with novel research. The change of scenery should offer the perfect quiet backdrop to finish the manuscript on time.Of course, she hadn’t factored in an unintended clash with local bachelor Cole Parker. His charming smile and witty demeanor leave her intrigued, even though circumstances seem determined to keep him at arm’s length. Despite distractions, can the two of them find a common bond to tie everything together and construct the perfect story?

Good Enough for a Princess


Carol Moncado - 2014
    There's no room for romance with the single father she meets when their cars collide on an icy winter night. Parliament - and her father - would never approve. Charlie Brewer grew up without roots. The son of an archaeologist father and anthropologist mother, he either traveled along or lived with his aunt and uncle in the States. He's determined to give his daughter the stability he never had. He also wants to give her a mom, but the beautiful European he's falling for refuses to move to Serenity Landing, Missouri permanently. He won't move. She can't stay. What will happen when they try to forget each other by dating someone "acceptable"? They find themselves drawn together by one of the girls in the after school program Addie supports - a girl who happens to be Charlie's daughter. How will Charlie, and his daughter, feel when they find out the woman they've both fallen for is a... princess? A trip halfway around the world shows Charlie and Addie how much they long to be together - and how impossible it is. Is there any way he can prove he is Good Enough for a Princess?

The Narrow Path


Gail Sattler - 2009
    Yet Miranda Klassen and Ted Wiebe must find a way to make peace to meet their common goal to open the doors of Ted's Old Order Mennonite church and community. Will they also find love in the process?

Flirting With The Competition


Kerri Carpenter - 2014
    Even enjoyed it. But when her companion turns out to be the man who almost ran her over in parking garage moments earlier? Nope and nope. Besides, she's on her way to a job interview at a prestigious law firm, and she needs to stay focused. Not staring at the rich and sexy jerk. Then the elevator comes to an abrupt stop. They're stuck.  Jordan Campbell has every intention of acing the interview for his dream job, and he's not about to let anything stop him. Not even the sexy, capable, and fiery woman who turns out to be his main competitor he's trapped with. The only thing they have in common is determination to get the job...and an escalating attraction. And it's only a matter of time before these competitors indulge in a very sexy little connection between floors.

Boyfriend Experience


T.L. Stowe - 2013
    Spend a month with a wealthy gay man who is trying to convince his visiting mother that he has finally found that special someone so she will put an end to her incessant matchmaking for $20,000. Will this arrangement only amount to JJ earning the $20,000 and the would be couple foiling the wealthy man’s mother or will all of them discover that both have indeed find that special someone after all?

Loving From Afar


Mona Ingram - 2013
    Ten years later, he returns home, telling himself he will avoid the woman who broke his heart.But nothing goes as planned. Can Allison and Cole forget the past and come to terms with the events that tore them apart?

Home Is Where the Heart Is


Kimberly Rae Jordan - 2014
    Finally able to pursue her own dreams, Violet has spent the last decade travelling and enjoying adventures in the outdoors she loves so much. But now her grandmother's death has brought her back to Collingsworth and to the conflicted familial relationships of her past. Settling down anywhere, let alone Collingsworth, was not part of her agenda, but a run-in with the town sheriff has her reconsidering. Sheriff Dean Marconett had heard plenty about the Collingsworth sister who loved to travel, but he never imagined he'd be so drawn to her when they finally met. Will he be able to convince Violet to consider settling down in the town she fled from so long ago? Or will her adventuresome spirit and the hurts and fears of her past drive her away from a chance at love?

Island Refuge


Kimberly Rose Johnson - 2015
    Did she make a mistake? Her engagement off, Zoe Griffin retreats to tiny Wildflower Island in the Puget Sound. Hiding out as a cook and maid at a shabby bed-and-breakfast seems crazy for a chef who’s used to running her own five-star kitchen. And just as she starts to feel at home, her klutzy mishaps make Zoe fear her handsome new boss will fire her. Dr. Nick Jackson is done with medicine, and owning a B&B is as far from doctoring as he can get. He needs help, but his only employee’s mistakes give him doubts. As Zoe lets her defenses down, Nick begins to see a competent and caring woman. One whose wounds are as deep as his own. But as they fall for each other, Nick and Zoe must learn the hardest lesson of all—to forgive. Only then can they heal the past and embrace the future . . . together. Author Bio Kimberly Rose Johnson, soon to be empty-nester, lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and their yellow lab. Island Refuge is her sixth published book and the first in a series of three. Kimberly enjoys long walks, chocolate, and mochas, not necessarily in that order.

Under the Hood


Sally Clements - 2013
     When sexy mechanic Alice Starr mistakenly believes attorney Mark Jameson needs her help, he discovers he likes being rescued for a change. Smitten by her confidence, he hides his expertise so he has an excuse to see her again.Starting their new all-female garage, Under the Hood, is keeping Alice and her friends busy. She doesn't have time for a man. But with one kiss, she and Mark have advanced into water so deep she's in danger of drowning. So why hasn't he called?Mark wants to tell Alice the truth so they can pursue a relationship. But he's got even bigger problems at his office when his bitter aunt threatens Alice’s livelihood. He needs a plan, fast, or else Under the Hood and his chances with Alice could both be ruined.

Know You More


Jan Thompson - 2015
    When Heidi Wei becomes his strongest supporter in his church planting ministry, how does Diego show his interest in her without her getting the wrong idea? Does she see him as potential husband material or just the pastor of their church? Heidi has suspected that Diego is sweet on her, but he seems to believe that his divine calling prevents him from acting on it. If it isn’t meant to be, she’s not going to push for it. Yet every time they are together, something happens between them. Have they moved beyond the platonic relationship they have enjoyed the last nine years to something more personal? When a crisis hits Heidi’s family, Diego has to balance pastoring his congregation and ministering to Heidi without losing either one. Falling in love while planting a new church is difficult for him to juggle. Which path is more important to him? Which one should he focus on? KNOW YOU MORE is the first book in Jan Thompson’s SAVANNAH SWEETHEARTS series of contemporary Christian novellas celebrating faith, hope, and love.